Berry box crate



Dec. 15, 1931. 'w, DALY 1,836,750 BERRY BOX CRATE F iled Nov. 1, 1930 Z! TI 7 g a? i E: EL

6// W WM/\ 4* .3

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 PATENT orrlca WILLIAM E. DALY, E BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN BERRY BOX CRATE Application filed November 1, 1930. Serial No, 492,637.

This invention relates to the class of wooden receptacles and pertains particularly to crates designed for carrying a plurality of berry boxes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved type of berry box crate carrying more than one tier of boxes having box spacing racks therein each designed to be held from contact with or pressing down 1 upon the layer of berry boxes therebeneath.

In berry box crates of the type at present in use spacing racks are provided for separating the layers of boxes but these racks rest upon the tops of the boxes, therefore the bottom layer of boxes must support the entire weight of the two layers thereabove and in addition to this if the berries in the boxes project above the tops thereof, the racks press down upon and mash them.

In the crate embodying the present invention the center and end head frames are pro vided with slats so positioned that when the frames are in place the top edges of the slats will come in a plane above the tops of the adacent layer of boxes and the separating racks are designed to be inserted lengthwiseof the crate through the head frames and to overlie and rest upon these slats, the ends of the racks being provided with cleats which position against the outer faces of the slats and prevent their shifting lon%irtudinally after being.

placed in position. ith a crate of this character no one of the layers of berry boxes supports other boxes, therefore, no mashing of the fruit can take place.

I n addition to this the construction of the crates is such that the same are better ventilated than the present type of crate, Where I broad slats are placed across the ends as well as longitudinally of the sides so that when the crates are stacked in crossed relation in the usual manner the circulation of air therethrough will not be interfered with.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a crate which can be economically constructed and will be efficient for the purpose set forth.

The invention will be best understood, from a consideration of the following detailed de scription taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present invention with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with-the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view taken horizontally through a. crate constructed in accordance with the present in vention;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the end head frames of a berry box crate of the character embodying the present invention, a center head frame arranged between and parallel with the end head frames being indicated by the numeral 2. Crates of this type havingtwo sections divided by a central frame are commonly known as twenty-four, or American quart crates.

These head frames are of rectangular formation and are connected by the side and bottom slats 3 and 3' respectively, which slats are relatively broad, as shown.

Each of the end heads l has a pair of narrow slats 41 secured across its inner face in the manner shown and the central frame has a pair of slats 5 extending transversely thereof between its side bars. The height of the slats i and 5 is such in the set-up crate, that when a layer of berry boxes is placed in the bottom of the crate upon the bottom slats 3 the top edges of these slats a and 5 will be in a plane above the tops of the berry boxes.

Designed to extend longitudinally through the crate through the center head fr me 2 and overlying and resting upon the ba there of, are the supporting racks, ll generally by the numeral 6. These 1" each made up of two or more sis tudinally through the head frames thereof over the lower ones of the rack supporting. slats 4; and 5, until the rack is in such a position that when lowered, the cleats 8 upon the ends thereof, will each engage the outer face of a slat i.

The slats 7 of the rack are then supported upon the head frame slats 4 and 5 and the cleats engaging the slats 4 of the end frames in the manner shown prevent longitudinal movement of the rack through the crate. The

berry boxes being of less height than the top edges of the slats 4 and 5 are thus free from contact with the rack overlying them and when a second layer of boxes is placed in the crate, the first or bottom layer will not carry any of the weight of the second layer. After positioning the second layer in the crate the second rack is inserted in the same manner as described in connection with the first'rack so that a third or top layer of boxes can be placed in the crate in the usual manner.

The top slats 10 are secured across the top bars of the head frames of the crate'in the manner shown.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that berry box crates of the character herein described may be economically constructed as all of the outside slats may be made of the same size and the head frames ma be made of uniform construction thusma ing it necessary to perform only two operations previous to the assembling of the crate that is, the making of the frames and the cutting of the slats.

Thus the strips 7 and the cleats 8 constitute horizontal shelves or partitions, for supporting one or more uppertiers of loaded boxes or receptacles, in the manner shown. Each horizontal shelf or partition is insertable' endwise, in a horizontal plane, through the opening 10 in either end of the crate, and through the openings 11 in the middle ver tical partition 2 of the crate. In removing the loaded boxes or receptacles, below any shelf or horizontal partition, the latter, after the boxes above it are removed, is then removed horizontally and longitudinally, in the same horizontal plane, through the said openings 10 and 11 of the vertical transverse walls of the crate. In this way, each horizontal partition or shelf can be rigid from one end to the other, for the full length of the crate, even in a crate having a middle ver tical partition, inasmuch as the horizontal shelf or partition is insertable horizontally and removable horizontally, thereby obviating the necessity of any construction where- 55 by such a horizontal partition or shelf may crate. "When the crate is entirely loaded, the

arrangement is such that each tier of boxes or baskets is practically held down in place,

so that the said horizontal shelves or partitions formed by the strips 7 and cleats 8 cannot rise enough to permit the horizontal shelves or partitions to slide out endwise. In this way, a two-story crate, or even a threestory crate or greater, is provided in an economical and satisfactory manner, by a construction thatpermits easy loading and unloading of the crate, but which at the same time insures the requisite rigidity and strength thereof.

It will also be seen that a top wall 12 is provided for the crate, to be secured in any suitable or desired manner, after the crate is loaded.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination, a shipping crate having side and bottom walls and vertical end walls,

said end walls having openings therein, and

a horizontal partition or shelf removably supported in said openings by the end walls, said horizontal partition or shelf being of a. width to move horizontally in the lane thereof into the crate, through an en -wall opening, and to be removed horizontally in said plane through said opening, said partition or shelf having space below and above for fruit or similar receptacles, the shelf being removable through an end wall of the crate, as stated, after the load on the shelf is removed upwardly to thereafter permit upward removal of the load below the shelf.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said crate having a vertical transverse middle partition having an opening therein for the middle portion of said horizontal partition or shelf, whereby the latter is supported at its ends and at its middle.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said horizontal partition or shelf having its ends provided'underneath with transverse cleats, and said end walls having means providing supporting edges engaging the under side of the shelf immediately inside of said cleats, whereby a slight lifting of one end of the shelf is necessary for the endwise removal thereof from the crate.

4:.A structure as specified in claim 1, said shelf comprising a plurality of parallel flat strips spaced apart, with underneath cleats connecting together the end portions of said flat strips, whereby the shelf is of maximum width throughout its length, and is of less width than the distance between the sides of the crate.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, the relative formation of said crate and horizontal shelf being such as to preclude removal of the shelf upwardly from the top of the crate.

Specification signed this 30th day of October, 1930.

WILLIAM E. DALY. 

